Bookcase.



No. 644,434. Patented Feb. 27, 1900. F. MAGEY.

BDOKCASE.

(Application filed Dec. 16, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK MAGEY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

BOOKCAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 644,434, dated February 27, 1900. Application filed December 16, 1899- Serial No. 740,537. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK MAOEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bookcases; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description 'of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in bookcases, and more particularly to that class in which the front of the case when raised to a horizontal position will run back into the top of the case; and its object is to provide means whereby when the front is so raised it will automatically run back into the case and be effectually guided in its movement, and to provide the device with certain new and useful features hereinafter more fully described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My device consists, essentially, in pivoting the front of the case upon a rod adapted to traverse from front to rear of the case, said rod being provided with pinions engaging racks upon the case and a spring connected to the rod to turn the same, whereby when the front is lifted to a horizontal position the rod will be rotated by the spring and the front automatically run back into the case and held in place therein, as hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical section from front to rear of two sections of a bookcase embodying my invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged detail of a portion of the same, showing an elevation of the interior of the case and a portion of the front in section; and Fig. 3, the same at right angles to Fig. 2, showing an elevation of a portion of the front and a section of a portion of the case.

Like letters refer to like parts in all of the figures.

A represents the 'end of the section of the case.

B represents the front of the case, pivotally supported upon a transverse rod embedded in a groove B in the top of the front and journaled in bearings I, secured to the front.

The respective ends of this rod are provided with rolls G, adapted to traverse horizontal grooves F in the ends of the case, and near each end of the rod is a pinion D, fixed on the same and rotative therewith; These pinions engage racks E, fixed on the ends of the case, and thus equalize the movement of the respective ends of the front B and prevent the same from binding. The groove B is enlarged in part to accommodate a spring H, coiled around the rod 0 and having one end attachedthereto, the other end of said spring being attached to the front B, and said spring when under tension tends to turn the rod about its axis, and thus through the medium of the pinions and racks draws the front B back into the top of the case whenever said front is raised to a horizontal position, the forward side of the front being supported by rolls J on the case and freely movable thereon. When the front is closed, the tendency of'the spring is to turn the front inward at the bottom, and thus effectually hold the same closed, and when the front is run into the top of the case the spring tends to hold it in the case and prevent its coming forward. This device is shown, as herein described, in my patent on sectional bookcases, dated J anuary 16, 1900, and numbered 641,459, except that herein the rod 0 is embedded in a groove in the front to get the same out of the way of the contents of the case, and also to laterally support the rod and prevent springing of the same by the lateral strains thereon, and the further feature of the spring H to turn the rod for the purpose herein described.

From the foregoing description the operation of my device will be readily understood without further explanation.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a case having grooves in its respective ends, a rod adapted to traverse said grooves, a front having a groove in its inner surface engaging the rod, bearings for the rods, pinions fixed on the rod, and racks fixed on the casing engaging the pinions, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a case having horizontal grooves in its ends, and rolls near the front ends of the grooves, a rod having rolls at its respective ends adapted to traverse the groove in the case, pinions on the rod, racks on the ease engaging the pinions, a front pivotally supported upon the rod and having a groove engaging the rod, and bearings engaging the rod, and a spring surrounding the rod and attached at one end thereto and attached to the front at the other end, substantially as described. 10

I11 testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK MAOEY. Witnesses:

LUTHER V. MoULToN, MILES V. EASTERBY. 

